For the past year Palestinian store owner Azzam Maraka has been displaying posters of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in his store windows near the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Today Israeli police arrived for the fifth time since the posters were hung to fine Mr. Maraka 475 Israeli shekels (equivalent to approximately 130 US dollars) totaling 2375 shekels (~$650) to date.

Azzam Maraka argues with Israeli police over his right to display posters in store window.

Maraka considers Erdogan a friend of the Palestinians partly due to Turkey’s participation in the 2010 flotilla to Gaza. Diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey have deteriorated after Israel refused to apologize for the killing of nine Turkish passengers on board the Mavi Marmara, a ship loaded with humanitarian aid bound for Gaza.

According to Maraka, the citations were issued in violation of a law prohibiting signs of any kind to be displayed on the street on which the store is located. Yet the signs of neighboring businesses and public buildings are of similar size and have not been targeted.

Maraka believes that he is being singled out because of political reasons related to strained relations between Israel and Turkey.

Israel’s seemingly political crackdown is further complicated because the neighborhood where the store is located is behind the green line, the internationally recognized border dividing Israel from the Palestinian West Bank.

Mr. Maraka intends not to pay the fines and is prepared to have the issue heard before the courts.

The author of this post is currently traveling in Israel/Palestine and would prefer to remain anonymous.

About Deppen Webber

Deppen Webber is a graduate student of Public Policy in northern California. He is active with the International Solidarity Movement and the Free Palestine Movement. Follow him on twitter @deppenwebber

Americian zionists/neocons have started (attack) their campaign to demonize Turkey (a NATO ally and OECD member) in the eyes of the western world (notably Canada, USA and Australia).

The problem is that Turkey has an open society with many links to ”western world” and a democratic government. Besides that, more than 30 million tourists visit Turkey every year. There are more western tourists in some cities/villages of Turkey than there are natives of that particular of village. So it isn’t so easy to demonize Turkey as with Iran.

– Michael Rubin: Why Is Obama Giving Predators to Turkey?
Over the last year, Turkey has sided with Iran……… and made anti-American rhetoric a staple of the Turkish ruling party’s proxy press etc.link to blog.american.com

– Jonathan Tobin: Turkey Responsible for Iraq Insurgency?
His primary assertions are that Prime Minister Netanyahu can do no wrong and that Turkey set on a path to downgrade its relations with Israel far earlier than the Gaza flotilla dispute. That Turkey was somehow responsible for Iraq’s insurgency bu not letting Bush junior invade Iraq from the north.link to commentarymagazine.comlink to theatlantic.com

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These articles aren’t posted on only one news website but many more.
If one copies the titles and pastes on Google will see the article of Mr. pipes in the Australian (Australia), the National review (Canada) and in the Washington Times (USA) and many more.
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In 2003, Pipes was awarded an honorary doctorate from Yeshiva University (Israel). In May 2006, Pipes received the Guardian of Zion Award by Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies at Bar-Ilan University in Israel.

Michael Rubin is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He has lectured in history at Yale University, Hebrew University

Tobin was editor in chief of the Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia. His columns have regularly appeared in the Jerusalem Post and many other newspapers.

Oh please, enough of the Nazi fantasy, Yes the West view’s of Germany over that 15 years is a Stalinist/Hollwood/British/Zionist propaganda piece of epic proportions. Yes, we’re OK because we’re not there yet. We’re not those people yet. Got news for you. We have exceeded their wildest expectations.

It has occurred to me that there is nothing more dangerous than an ethnic sense of abuse. The German sense of abuse entitled them to the actions they took. Germany and Germans were absolutely devastated after WW1. Truly devastated for more than a decade. Along the lines of the Jim Crow South of the time.

What current day Israeli’s or their supporters(or anyone here) have suffered anything comparable? That well fed Jewish Storm-Trooper has no material complaints, does he? Hence the greater danger Jewish Fascism poses? German Facism of the 30’s sprang from extreme deprivation. Zionist extremism springs from entitlement. They behave as entitled brutes even in times of relative comfort when they don’t have to. It strikes me as much more dangerous than the Nazis. They could have been avoided by better conditions after WW1. What could possibly satisfy the well fed, pampered Zionists?

You’ll notice how well that advantage has served us(and the Soviets) over the last several decades? Technology without a strategy, Ever accidentally shot yourself?
Hej!
P.S. The charming one eyed “War Criminal” appears to be right to this day? Alan Hart.

Maybe Erdogan will pay the fine! Or, better, work to end application of Israeli laws in occupied EJ (cannot believe a no-signs law was in effect during the Jordanian occupation, but always willing to learn).

Israel’s seemingly political crackdown is further complicated because the neighborhood where the store is located is behind the green line, the internationally recognized border dividing Israel from the Palestinian West Bank.

Not to nitpick, but the Green Line of 1967 is merely a ceasefire line. It is not an internationally recognized border. It is, however, an internationally recognized ceasefire line.

Final status of that line is to be determined by negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian people.

Israel had illegally annexed occupied East Jerusalem. As a result, Israeli law (In contravention with international law) puts East Jerusalem under the municipal control of ‘Jewish Jerusalem’ or West Jerusalem, hence the police (As opposed to the military).
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Police uniforms in Israel are usually light blue in color, modeled after Australian and South African police.

That style was changed in recent years. The policeman in the photo is wearing black police uniforms with the Israeli flag on the shoulder sleeve, a cheap imitation of many American police uniforms.

Incidentally, vehicle license plates in Israel were historically solid yellow. Several years ago, the Israeli ministry of transportation changed the plates in an imitation of EU license plates — the addition of a blue country identifier on the end.

I’m not sure about the rationale behind all these imitations; are they supposed to make tourists and foreign visitors feel as though Israel is a western country? Or, are they a failed attempt at giving itself the illusion that it is a western country?

Not to nitpick, but the Green Line of 1967 is merely a ceasefire line. It is not an internationally recognized border. It is, however, an internationally recognized ceasefire line.

The armistice lines are legally recognized frontiers just like many other internationally recognized boundaries. In fact, the Tripartite Declaration referred to them as “Armistice Borders”. link to avalon.law.yale.edu

Like every other international border, they can only be altered by mutual consent, but that doesn’t mean that they ever will be legally modified. The UN Mediator negotiated and accepted the agreements under the auspices of UN Security Council resolution 62, which required the delineation of permanent armistice demarcation lines. The Security Council endorsed the agreements in its resolution 73 and ordered the parties concerned to implement and observe the agreements pending a final negotiated settlement. Both resolutions were adopted as provisional Article 40 measures under the terms of Chapter VII of the UN Charter and are legally binding on all UN member states.

At the Security Council’s 433rd meeting, the Israeli foreign minister, Abba Eban, stated that the armistices were “a provisional settlement which can only be replaced by a peace agreement”. That certainly has not happened yet. He continued:

The armistice lines do not merely separate armed forces. They mark the clearly defined areas of full civil jurisdiction. The Government, the courts, the legislatures, the security authorities of each respective State operate smoothly and unchallenged up to the appropriate armistice line. These lines thus have the normal characteristics of provisional frontiers until such time as a new process of negotiation and agreement determines the final territorial settlement. They are also stabilized by the mutual undertakings of the parties and by the fullest international sanction for as long as the Armistice Agreements are valid.
…
The Armistice Agreements are not peace treaties. They do not prejudice the final territorial settlements. On the other hand, the provisional settlement established by the Armistice Agreements is unchallengeable until a new process of negotiation and agreement has been successfully consummated.

The Charter of the United Nations codified many principles of customary international which are reflected in General Assembly resolution 2625 (XXV) “Declaration On Principles Of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations And Co-Operation Among States In Accordance With The Charter Of The United Nations” It provides that:

Every State… has the duty to refrain from the threat or use of force to violate international lines of demarcation, such as armistice lines, established by or pursuant to an international agreement to which it is a party or which it is otherwise bound to respect.

How Orwellian is this? The thought police have charged this man with the crime of thinking for himself, and having a different opinion to the official state decree on Erdogan. Extraordinary. Join the club alongside China, Burma and Iran where thought crime is punished. Apart from the vindictive arrogance Israel shows, you have to laugh at their stupidity and crass attempts at closing down the opinion of half the population under their control. What is all the rubbish they talk about freedom and democracy, the rule of law etc? What rot. Clearly it doesn’t apply if you have the wrong parents.

Shingo and Seafoid, in the context of the wider picture of events happening from Afghanistan to Palestine, the impending US departure from Iraq, the drums of war beating against Iran, the cutting of Chinese at the knees in Libya and the rest of Africa, the Russian and Chinese veto in favour of Syria, the one and only giant Russian naval base being built on the Med at Tarsus, Syria with a mad US rush to overturn the Assad regime and the missile defense radar installed in Turkey against Iran and Russia, you have to take NATO-member Turkey’s bogey-man stories with and about Israel with a grain of salt. Other than the heavy rhetoric you have read about from Turkey towards Israel, what concrete actions has it taken against it besides begging for an apology which it will get in due time? This poster thing is part of the act. Turkey and Israel are toying with this bogus conflict to make Turkey appear pro-Palestinian for other motives. Nobody gives a damn about the Palestinians.

Turkey and Israel are toying with this bogus conflict to make Turkey appear pro-Palestinian for other motives. Nobody gives a damn about the Palestinians.

Erdogan stormed out of a debate with Peres in Davos over Cast Lead, publicly demanded that Israeli lift the illegal blockade of Gaza, sent an aid flotilla to Gaza, rejected the Palmer report and has threatened to take Israel to the ICJ over the legality of the blockade and the attack. He has promised to use Turkish forces to counter the IDF in the Med; sent a Turkish seismic research ship into the gas fields off Cyprus, and scrambled F-16s to chase Israeli F-15s and helicopters away from the area. link to haaretz.com

If he’s only toying with this bogus conflict, then I’d hate to see what sort of damage he could do to Israeli prestige and legitimacy when he’s really pissed off.

I don’t buy the Israel in control of events narrative.
The US is limping and the regional bigwigs are responding to the loss of credibility. Israel the guard dog is only useful as long as the bigwigs are sedated . Ultimately Turkey is run by money people and money comes before the Jewish state even in the US. So if Turkey keeps on growing Israel is going to have to reform. Anyway Israel as is is in no way sustainable. something has to give.

We may not have to wait too long. +972 is carrying a headline that says “Gaza-bound flotilla said planning to depart Turkey in coming days” link to 972mag.com

I don’t see any reason the Palestinians can’t get humanitarian aid from the neighbors. Turkey sent Israel humanitarian aid during the fire in the Mt Carmel region and now Israel is sending aid to Turkey in the aftermath of the earthquake. Despite all of that, Turkey has never stopped pressuring Israel over the blockade. The Jerusalem Post reported on the visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu on a visit to Jordan today. He called for forceful pressure on Israel, saying that only such pressure would force Jerusalem into giving up on a number of principles and making it easier to establish a Palestinian state.

“We believe that if we will press hard enough on Israel, we will bring it to a situation where it will be convinced that it needs to carry out its part of moving the diplomatic process forward and establishing a Palestinian state,” Israel Radio translated and quoted Davutoglu as saying. link to jpost.com

The JPost article only says the Turkish General staff denied scrambling the F-16’s, but it confirms that Turkey sent its gas exploration ship into the disputed area off Cyprus.

So Turkey really didn’t deny all of this: Erdogan stormed out of a debate with Peres in Davos over Cast Lead, publicly demanded that Israeli lift the illegal blockade of Gaza, sent an aid flotilla to Gaza, rejected the Palmer report and has threatened to take Israel to the ICJ over the legality of the blockade and the attack. He has promised to use Turkish forces to counter the IDF in the Med; sent a Turkish seismic research ship into the gas fields off Cyprus.

Erdogan was having troubles with the PKK long before the Mavi Marmara set sail. That didn’t prevent it from making the voyage, now did it?

BTW, you must not have looked too hard, Wikipedia still mentions that one of the victims, Ali Haydar Bengi, was a Kurdish man from Diyarbakır. So, do you think the Kurds support the blockade of Gaza? Many of them are Arabic or Turkish speaking Muslims after all.

well Hostage, I am glad you admit that the Turkish government was responsible for the Mavi Marmara, that is progress.

You are such a desperate little troll. Israel is responsible for the illegal attack in international waters. Please show me where Erdogan ever denied responsibility for sending aid to Gaza. Unlike Obama, Erdogan demanded that Israeli immediately release its citizens. Erdogan has bluntly stated his demands ever since then. He says that Turkey still has aid that it intends to deliver to Gaza and that Turkey’s Navy is responsible for protecting aid ships so they are never attacked again, e.g. link to telegraph.co.uk

ERDOGAN RECEIVES PALESTINIAN EXCELLENCE AWARD
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday received the Palestinian International Award for Excellence and Creativity (PIA) 2011 for his contribution and support to the plea of the Palestinian people. Turkey’s Consul in General Sakir Ozkan Torunlar received the award on behalf of Erdogan at a ceremony which was organized under the auspices of President Mahmoud Abbas at the Al Najah University and also attended by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The award has been granted since 2007 in order to honor the people and institutions for their achievements in the development of Palestine. In a message Erdogan said, “I gladly receive this message on behalf of my country and people.”

I hope that Turkey will inspire Arab states to join with it in teaching Tel Aviv a long overdue lesson, one that the Western world has shirked. Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people since its founding in 1948 when entire villages were leveled and their unarmed inhabitants were murdered or driven out by the ruthless Irgun, Stern Gang and Haganah are too numerous to list. Israel is a state that was born from terrorism and until this day lives by the gun. Israeli politicians love to highlight “Arab terror” while feigning amnesia when it comes to their own terrorist acts.

They forget that their “pioneers” blew up Jerusalem’s King David and Semiramis hotels, the massacre of Palestinians in Deir Yassin, Dawayma and Kibya, their attack on the USS Liberty for which Cairo was on the point of being nuked by the US in retaliation.

They’ve gotten away with their involvement in the 1982 slaughter of refugees in Lebanon’s Sabra and Shatilla camps, the killing of 1,200 Lebanese civilians in 2006 and “Operation Cast Lead” that robbed 1,400 Gazans of their lives in 2008. And until now, they’ve succeeded in holding the 1.5 million residents of Gaza in a virtual prison for years without any meaningful comeback from the international community.

It’s utterly shameful that Israel has been permitted to destroy Palestinian lives and livelihoods, incinerate orchards and olive groves, lock up young children for throwing stones and humiliate a proud people, true sons and daughters of the soil, for over 60 years to the sound of the West’s cheers.

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Its that inspiring that makes Israel afraid of the Turkish PM Erdogan.

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